Assisted Living: Learning One New Thing Each Day is a Powerful Tool for Healthy Aging

Learning is a quintessential part of life, and it often gains increased relevance as a person grows. Although many seniors experience a decline in learning ability with age, all is not lost. Not only can seniors maintain and even improve their learning ability as they age, but they can use this in turn to make themselves a healthier and happier person throughout retirement. 

 

At Garden of Palms, this philosophy is at the core of our independent and assisted living model, and we aim to provide enriching experiences and opportunities to our residents so they always stay curious. Below, we discuss the power of learning for aging adults and why we encourage our senior living residents to learn something new each and every day.

Learning Exercises the Mind

Although healthy minds tend to learn with ease, the process of learning can be very stimulating. Learning tasks the brain to work, compelling it to simultaneously increase its level of activity and efficiency, and seniors should use this to their advantage. Continually putting the mind through processes like learning and reading serve as a form of exercise that keeps the mind alert. It has been observed that people who take the time to exercise their brain, even with activities as simple as riddles and word games, find it easier to recall information when compared to those who do not engage in such practices.

 

The brain is essentially like any other muscle in the human body. Constant use of a muscle ensures that it is well-toned and can readily be called upon when needed. Conversely, not using a muscle constantly or as well as one should leads to atrophy. Therefore, the need to always engage one’s mind in stimulating learning activities cannot be overemphasized.

Learning Provides Purpose

Regardless of age, regularly picking up a puzzle or finding a new topic of interest to research and read up on can do wonders for one’s mental health. Apart from keeping the mind sharp and alert, it helps keep us current and in the know on relevant matters. This is especially important for retired seniors, as it helps them feel less isolated from the world when they experience mobility concerns and a shifting social life. Even simple acts like reading the daily newspaper can go a very long way.

 

Making a point to learn something new each day also helps seniors find purpose, as they are likely no longer occupied with the sense of purpose once provided by raising a family or advancing in their career. Learning can be an exciting and enriching experience, and seniors who regularly learn new things may find themselves always looking forward to their next learning experience. Having something to look forward to is a key component of living a fulfilling and dignified life, and the satisfaction that one feels when they learn a new skill or topic is insurmountable.

Garden of Palms

An assisted living community in Los Angeles

At Garden of Palms, we provide ample opportunity for our residents to explore new learning opportunities in a welcoming community setting. Our book club allows residents to dive into a good book and connect with others over what they’ve learned, and we encourage residents to join us for our weekly ‘around the world’ activity to learn all about a different country. We provide exciting learning opportunities through our weekly outings, and our regular news updates and board game activities aim to keep residents’ minds active each and every day.

 

If you are exploring Jewish retirement communities in the Los Angeles area, we’d love to show you around our assisted living and independent living community. Our commitment to providing a holistic senior living program that makes us an excellent choice for seniors seeking a purposeful retirement. Please consider touring our senior living community, or contact us for more information.

Please Contact Us

1025 North Fairfax Avenue.

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Phone: (323) 656-7900

Email: director@gardenofpalms.com